§ Mr. Skinnerasked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will now consider taking further measures to ensure that revenue support grants to shire counties, such as Derbyshire, pass on the grants to the bus companies in order to maintain routes and services to the public.
§ Mr. HoramGovernment assistance towards county councils' transport expenditure is given through the rate support grant and transport supplementary grant. These are block grants, not specifically linked to revenue support or other items of transport spending. In the 1979–80 TSG settlement, we have continued to favour those shire counties which are pledged to support operators in maintaining socially desirable bus services.